


love is forgiving and compromising

by The_Doctors_Song



Category: Doctor Who RPF
Genre: F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-19
Updated: 2013-01-19
Packaged: 2017-11-26 01:42:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/645137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Doctors_Song/pseuds/The_Doctors_Song
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He watched as Karen walked down the sandy aisle, red hair standing out brilliantly on her white dress, and smiled as she grinned, eyes firmly planted on Ryan. As she passed him, he winked at her, before his eyes flicked to Alex. He watched her as she watched Karen, smiling softly at her and nudging Salome’s shoulders with her own before she turned her eyes on him. </p>
<p>He missed her eyes.</p>
<p>He missed her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	love is forgiving and compromising

**Author's Note:**

> Salome, Sophie Wu, Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman mentioned. I think the BBC are one huge family so... deal with it. :P

This was weird. Such a strange situation, a concept he still couldn’t grasp – not completely.

Karen was getting married.

When she’d called him from her not-so-new house in Central London, screaming in to the phone at half past seven in the morning - it took all of his resolve to not simply hang up on her and burrow under the sheets. He’s glad he didn’t.

She rambled on for seven minutes before he finally dragged out of her why she was calling, and he was half asleep when she said it.

“I’m engaged!”

He sat upright, his eyes wide and a hand reaching up to tangle in his hair. “What? Seriously?”

Karen squealed again, talking a mile a minute as she retold the events of that morning. Matt sat there in shock before grinning and stammering out a ‘that’s great Kaz!’ She thanked him, going on to talk about how she had to call _everyone_ before hanging up on him.

Matt threw his phone on to the opposite side of his bed, falling back against the pillows and staring up at the ceiling with a grin. Kaz was engaged!

And now? Now she was getting married. Actually married with a dress and a cake and a _groom_! Ryan was a cool guy; pretty smart and a little quiet. Basically the opposite of Kaz. But that’s what the saying ‘opposites attract’ is for right? Plus Ryan was a Whovian! Automatic points with him.

He was standing in the make-shift tented room that was used for the boys to get ready. Ryan was pacing, his hands clasped in front of him and fidgeting nervously while Arthur leant against a mirror, watching with an amused grin. The three of them had gotten closer since Ryan proposed – Karen being Arthur’s on-screen wife and Matt’s – Kaz. It was basically a clause in her acceptance that he get to know the two of them. And now she was regretting it.

Matt shifted on his beach, glaring down at the sand and cursing Karen’s choice of a beach wedding. It was England for god’s sake! Who has a wedding on a beach in England? He shook his head, leaving his own opinion behind him and his thoughts that if it were him? He’d have chosen the country side, if it were outdoors. Just at sunset – because that’s when the light reflects in her hair be –

Matt shook his head, narrowing his eyes and growling at himself. _No. Stop it. Not now – not here. And not about that_. Matt walked forward, placing his hand on Ryan’s arm and waved his other in front of his face. “Hey – hey! You’ll be okay. You’re not the first man to freak out when getting married. Calm down – Kaz’ll freak if you scruff your shoes in the sand.”

Ryan froze, taking a deep breath and nodded. He stopped pacing, smiling at Matt in thanks before turning to the mirror in the corner of the tent and throwing his arm around his brother’s shoulders, laughing. Arthur came to stand at his side, a water bottle open in one hand and he clasped Matt’s shoulder with his other. “Nicely done mate.”

Matt grinned, straightening his bow tie that he insisted he wear. “Well … I am brilliant with words.” He proudly stated, grinning at Arthur. He rolled his eyes at him, shoving his shoulder before glancing to the opening of the tent. “Show time eh? Time to watch our little moonhead get hitched.”

Laughing, Matt waved at Ryan before leaving the tent with Arthur. They walked down the aisle, glancing at each other awkwardly with Benedict, Martin and Karen’s friend Allison laughed at them. They did make an odd sight. The two of them, side by side, walking down the aisle. He was just glad neither of them were holding flowers. Arthur took his seat beside his girlfriend while Matt wandered to the front .Karen was an only child; and Matt was as close to a brother as she was going to get. He stood at the front, his hands in his pocket as he contemplated kicking at the sand with his brand new shoes.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you darling.” Matt turned quickly, pulling his hands from his pockets.

“Alex.”

For the first time since he found out the location, he thanked Karen’s choice of the beach. Alex looked – incredible. She seemed slightly tanner than he had last seen her, her hair lighter and her smile still as bright. His eyes trailed down her body, taking in the black and white strapless dress. He’d seen her in it before. A photo shoot – one of his favourites. He didn’t know she’d been allowed to keep the dress. She was barefoot, as was most of the women there. Why the men couldn’t wear no shoes – he had no idea. But he wasn’t going to complain.

“Darling, if you ruined your shoes Karen will never let you hear the end of it.”

He froze for a split second, unsure how to react before he relaxed, smiling at her nervously. “Yeah – Yeah. You’re right. I – um – You look great.”

Alex smiled, glancing away as Ryan joined them and guests were asked to take their seats. “I’ll – see you at the reception dear.”

Matt nodded, watching her walk away and cringed, remembering the last time he let that happen. He smiled at Ryan in what he hoped looked like enthusiasm as the other two groomsmen joined him, but his eyes flicked to Alex as she took her seat beside Arthur and – god! – Was that Salome?

He watched as Karen walked down the sandy aisle, red hair standing out brilliantly on her white dress, and smiled as she grinned, eyes firmly planted on Ryan. As she passed him, he winked at her, before his eyes flicked to Alex. He watched her as she watched Karen, smiling softly at her and nudging Salome’s shoulders with her own before she turned her eyes on him.

He missed her eyes.

He missed her.

The wedding was gorgeous. For one, if wasn’t cloudy or raining or even too cold. It was almost the perfect day, and he knew Karen was ecstatic. He sat at his chair at the reception, the back of it facing the table as he leant his elbows on top. He watched as Karen danced with Ryan, Arthur with his girlfriend before they switched with each other, laughing as Ryan and Arthur fox trotted around the dance hall and Karen and Sophie watched on in amusement. He chuckled, rolling his eyes as he felt a tingle shoot through his spine. He turned as Alex’s hand brushed against his shoulder and she sat down beside him. She smiled as Salome pushed through the crowd and grabbed Karen’s hand, dragging her to the middle. “Why aren’t you dancing?”

Matt shrugged, his throat tight with unspoken emotion and he shook his head. “No one I want to dance with.”

“No one?”

He looked to her, her head lowered slightly, tilted to look up at him. “Well – one person.” She smiled softly, only to roll her eyes and swat him on the arm. “Think Salome will leave Karen?”

He grinned, rubbing at his shoulder and sighed. “Want to dance Alex?”

“Love to.”

He stood, holding out his hand to her and shivered when she placed hers in his palm. He led her to the floor, spinning her around playfully before setting his hands on her waist. She wrapped her arms around his neck, looking up at him as they swayed slowly. They didn’t speak, not a word was exchanged between them, until Alex lay her head on his shoulder and whispered ‘I’m sorry’. Matt shook his head, pulling away just enough so that he could bend slightly and look her in the eyes.

“Hey – no. Don’t be. I – I get it Alex. You needed time.”

Alex smiled, biting her lip before rising on her toes. “Thank you.” She mumbled, before pressing her lips to his softly. He didn’t care about where they were, who was watching. But Alex had kissed him in public after five months of separation, her worries about relationships and publicity having kicked in. And he kissed her back, one hand flattened against her back and the other settled on her waist.

And he thought he heard applause.


End file.
